After bipartisan criticism, Trump calls off plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter’s execution
Trump withdraws broadcast plan
Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social that Hasan’s execution would proceed as scheduled but would not be shown online. He said the victims’ immediate families could attend if they wished, adding that they deserved to see justice.
The change followed significant backlash over the Pentagon’s original proposal to let the public watch Hasan die by firing squad. CBS News had reported Tuesday that administration officials were moving away from streaming the execution.
Criticism from both parties
Hegseth disclosed the broadcast proposal last week during an interview with political activist Jack Posobiec. He argued that making the execution public would show that such acts have serious consequences.
Republicans and Democrats objected, saying a livestream could harm the country’s standing or encourage radicalization. House Speaker Mike Johnson told CBS News that a video might serve as a recruiting tool for terrorists, while Vice President JD Vance said he would not watch.
Execution and historical context
The Death Penalty Information Center says the last apparent public execution in the United States was in 1936, when an estimated 20,000 people watched Rainey Bethea’s hanging. The last U.S. military execution was in 1961; Hasan’s firing squad execution would be the military’s first using that method since 1945, according to the center.
Amnesty International reported that Afghanistan and Iran were the only countries known to have carried out public executions last year. A public broadcast of Hasan’s death would therefore have put the United States among a small group of nations doing so.
Key points
- Trump says Hasan’s scheduled execution will not be livestreamed.
- Hegseth had earlier proposed making the execution public.
- Critics from both parties warned a broadcast could encourage terrorist recruitment.
- Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3.